Hood catch



T. T. LOGIE Jan. 7, 1936.

HOOD CATCH Filed April 12, 1935 FEE.

INVENTOR gash 1A5 T LUEIE. M

ATTORN EY Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOOD CATCH Thomas '1". Logic; Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to The Bassick Company, Bridgeport; Conn., a corporation "of Connecticut Application April 12, 1935, Serial No. 15,941

5 Claims. (01. 292-228) (The present invention relates to hood catches for securing the hoods'of automobiles, and particularly hood catches of the corner type mounted upon a corner of the hood, and. adapted to engage a keeper provided upon the frame within the hood to hold the hood downwardly and inwardly against looseness and rattling. An object of the invention is to provide ahoodcatch of very simple and inexpensive construction and assembly, in which the principal parts are formed of "sheet. metal and are mounted interiorly of. the hood, the handle being; the only exposed. part exteriorly of the hood, so that only the handle need have a highly or expensively finished surface. .A further objectis to provide a catch in which the catch lever will be retained in assembledrelation with the mountin plate by means of the catch lever actuating spring, the mounting plate having an internal bearing boss formed therein which: provides at one side apivotal bearing for thezcatch lever and, at the other side. arecess for receiving the bent ends of the spring retaining clip.

With the above and other objects in: view an embodiment; of the invention is shown in, the accompanyingv drawing, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be :fin'ally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:- V, Fig. I is afront elevation of one corner of an automobile hoodand the adjoining cowl and sill structure, and showing thehood catch, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, attached thereto. r

' Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 2'-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3' is a vertical sectional view, taken: along the-;line 3-3 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 4 is an inside elevation of the catch. ,Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the mounting plate employed. 1

Fig. 6- is a perspective view of the catch lever employed. M ,Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of a the drawing.

Referring, to the drawing, the hood i is adapted to, close at one .end against the inset marginal edge portion I I of the cowl structurefl, theother end closing in asimilarrnanner against the radiator frame, and at each end of the hood, and adapted tocooperate with keepers provided on the cowl and radiator frame structure, hood catches according to the illustrated embodiment of :the'invention, aremounted. Only one catch is illustrated, the other catch being identical but reversely disposed.

,Thehood'catch comprises a sheet metal mounting plate l3 of rectangular shape having a right angularly bent flange M at the forward vertical edge, and substantially centrally of the plate l3 a circular boss I5 is pressed therein, this boss forming at one side of the plate a pivot bearing for the catch lever and at the other side a recess for 10 receiving the ends of the spring retaining clip, as will hereinafter more fully appear. Slots 16-46 are provided in the boss for receiving the clip ends. The" flange M is provided with a vertical slot l'l adjacent the plate l3 for receiving the i5 catch lever, and near the upper end of this slot there is provided a rectangular cut-out l8 for receiving the spring. Holes 19 are provided in the plate l3 for securing the same to the inner side of the hood by rivets 20,. as shown in Fig. l.

The hood catch lever 2|, formed of sheet metal, is provided near its rearward end with a circular aperture 22 adapted to engage upon the bossl5 for pivotal movement, the rearward edge of the lever being rounded in concentric relation to the aperture and the upper and lower edges converging toward the forward end. The lever is adapted to have limited swinging movement in the slot I1, and this slot is of sufficient length to permit the larger end of the. lever to be inserted therethrough in assembling the lever with the mounting plate. The forward portion of the catchlever is bent at right angles, as at 23, andis then again bent at its forward end portion in parallel and offset relation to the rearward end portion, as at 24 a keeper engaging lip 25 being bent inwardly from the. upper edge of the portion 24. The portion 23 is provided with a rectangular aperture 26 for receiving the spring end, and the portion 24 is provided with an aperture 21 corresponding- 1y, shaped to the inner threaded and flatted. end 28' of the handle 29, said threaded end being inserted in the aperture 21' and secured to the lever bya nut 30.

The coil spring 3| is adapted to be secured. to

the boss I5 in superimposed relation to the catch lever to retain the'latter in pivotal relation on the boss, and for this purpose a U-shape" clip 32 isengaged over the inner end of the spring and has its side legs inserted through the slots li -l6 and bent over upon the back surface of the boss within the recess, as clearly shownin Fig. 2.

The forward end of the spring extends through the opening ill of the flange l4 and is inserted fiange being cut away as at 35 to provide an entering passage of the end of the catch lever.

In operation, the hood is drawn downwardly by downward pressure applied on the catch handles 29 at each' end of the hood, the abutment of the lower edge of the catch levers 2| with the lower ends of the slots ll causing the downward pressure to be firmly transmitted to the hood, so that it is effectually pulled down to its full limit with facility.- When fully pulled down the hood is pressed inwardly disposing the lip portions 26 of the catch levers beneath the inclined keepers 34, so that upon release the levers spring upwardly under the pressure of the springs 3| and engage behind the keepers, thus retaining the hood closed and exerting downward and inward pressure thereon.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of my invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Automobilerhood fastening means for en gaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood,'comprising a sheet metal mounting plate member adapted to be secured to the interior of the hood having a pressed out pivot bearing portion, a catch lever having an aperture engaged by said bearing portion, a coil spring secured at its inner end to said bearing portion, the outer end engaging said lever to press it in onedirection, said spring overlying said catch lever in surrounding relation to said aperture to retain said catch lever in engagement with said bearing portion, a handle secured to said lever, said catch lever adapted to be depressed in closing the hood and to spring upwardly to engage "said keeper under the pressi'ire of said spring means, the effective spring movement of said catch lever being from a point below its point of engagement with the keeper to a point above said point of engagement.

2. Automobile hood fastening means for en'- 7 gaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood, comprising a sheet metalrmounting plate member adapted 'to be secured to the interior of the hood having a circular pressed out pivot bearing portion forming a recess at one side of said plate, a catch lever having an aperture engaged by said bearing portion, a coil spring, a U-shape clip engaging the inner end of said spring its side legs being engaged through said bearing portion and bent over in saidrrecess to secure said spring to said bearing portion, the outer end of said spring engaging said lever to press-it in one direction, said spring overlying said catch lever in surrounding relation to said aperture to retain said catch lever in engagement with said bearing portion, a handle secured to said catch lever, said catch lever'adapted to be depressed in closing the hood and to spring upwardly to engage said keeper under the pressure of said spring means, the effective spring movement of said catch lever being'from a point below its point of engagement with the keeper to a point above said point of engagement.

3. Automobile hood fastening means for engaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood, comprising a sheet metal mounting plate member adapted to be se- 10 cured to the interior of the hood and having a right angularly bent vertically disposed flange at one edge, there being a vertical slot in said flange,

a catch lever pivotally mounted on said plate and extending through said slot, a coil spring secured at its inner end to said plate member, the outer end extending through said slot and engaging said lever to press it in one direction, a handle secured to said catch lever, said catch lever adapted to be depressed in closing the hood and a point below its point of engagement with the keeper to a point above said point of engagement. 26

4. Automobile hood fastening means for engaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood, comprising a sheet metal mounting plate member' adapted to be secured to the interior of the hood and having a 30 right angularly bent vertically disposed flange at one edge, there being a vertical slot in said flange, a sheet metal catch lever pivotally mounted on said plate and extending through said slot and having a right angularly bent portion spaced from said flange, a coil spring secured at its inner end to said plate member, the outer end extending through said slot and engaging said right angularly bent portion of said lever to press it in one direction, a handle secured to said catch lever, 4 said catch lever adapted to be depressed in closing the hood and to spring upwardly to engage said keeper under the pressure of said spring means, the effective spring movement of said catch lever being from a point below its point of engagement with the keeper to a point above said point of engagement.

5. Automobile hood fastening means for engaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood, comprising a sheet metal mounting plate member adapted to be secured to the interior of the hood having a pressed out pivot bearing portion and having a right angularly bent vertically disposed flange at one edge, there being a vertical slot in said flange, a catch lever having an aperture engaged by said bearing portion, said lever extending through said slot, and having a right angularly bent portion spaced from said flange, a coil spring secured at its inner end to said bearing portion, the outer end extending through said slot and engaging said right angularly bent portion of said lever to press it in one direction, said spring overlying said catch lever in engagement with said bearing portion, a handle secured to said catch lever, said catch lever adapted to be depressed in closing the hood and r to spring upwardly to engage said keeper under the pressure of said spring means, the effective spring movement of said catch lever being from a point below its point of engagement engagement.

THOMAS T. LOGIE. 

